Gorcums Museum: Voor de Draad Ermee (For the Thread with It)

To be honest, Astrid says you really can't translate Voor de Draad Ermee, which is the title of the exhibition at our Gorinchem museum from April 7 - September 9.  The closest translation is "for the thread with it."  Suffice it to say that this is an exhibition about embroidery!

Look and be amazed.  These exhibitions never cease to amaze me:

Our Gorcums Museum is on the second floor of our city's old city hall in city center.

When you walk into the lobby, you get a taste of what you will see once you go up.

For those of you who know stitchery work, you'd be impressed.

The lobby always gives you a "free" taste of what you might see above, 

if you decide to pay the €4.50 or use your museum card, as we did.

Embroidery has meaning in such events as birth, marriage and death all over the world, 

so it makes sense that the exhibit starts you off with specimens from places other than "home."

Again, if you know stitchery work, you'd be impressed.

No, this is not Dutch, in case you were wondering.

The entire exhibit could have highlighted cultures from all over the world.

But the smattering was enough to get the picture.

And then it was everything Dutch.

 Can you imagine showcasing the backside of a stitchery?

I think this was my biggest surprise of the exhibit.

Who would have thought of that???

How about a tulip tree.

Can you see the stitches, even in the background?

I did a lot of counted-cross stitcheries in my day, so this ensemble was fun to see.

How about samplers.  Did you ever do one?

This is a kind of sampler, right?

I guess so.

But this one takes the cake and is what I think of when I hear "sampler."
More Dutch you cannot get!

It's one thing to sew clothes, of course...but another to also "embroider" them.

Have you ever sewn on sequins?

Or beads?

This is from the 17th century,

so fragile-looking and yet standing the test of time!

Have you ever seen a family tree...with photos...made into a stitchery?

Who thinks these things up!

This volcano was like a cross between a tapestry and a stitchery.

As was this one, with 10 boats embroidered into it.

There were several other entries in this exhibit that I could have added that didn't interest me...

like all the papal robes that made me sick to my stomach during this week of priest-abuse allegations.

I had to stop somewhere....

But look at this.  Free to anyone and everyone.

Do you want to learn new stitches?

You can!

Throughout this exhibition there have been workshops to teach you 

everything you ever wanted to know about hand stitching.

Don't you love it!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

As an FYI, Astrid and I fly to England tomorrow for a week-plus with friends

from our Shutterchance photoblog.  Back with you in September!